The investigation into Chad Daybell's residence in Salem, Idaho, has uncovered a disturbing series of events surrounding the disappearance and deaths of Tylee Ryan and Joshua "JJ" Vallow, the children of his wife, Lori Vallow Daybell. This case has garnered national attention due to its complex nature, involving religious fanaticism, alleged murder, and a series of lies.
Aerial photo of Chad Daybell's residence during the investigation. (John Roark/The Idaho Post-Register via AP)
Discovery of Human Remains
On Tuesday, June 9, 2020, law enforcement officers arrived at Chad Daybell's home to serve a search warrant concerning the missing children, Tylee and JJ, who had not been seen since September 2019. During the search, authorities uncovered human remains on the property.
The prosecuting attorney in Chad Daybell's case confirmed Wednesday that the remains found on his Idaho property are children. The Woodcock and Ryan families released a statement a few hours later confirming the remains belong to 17-year-old Tylee Ryan and 7-year-old Joshua "JJ" Vallow. Prosecutor Rob Wood did confirm the "remains are children," during the initial appearance of Daybell on Wednesday. Authorities are expected to issue official statements about the two sets of human remains and autopsy results.
Rexburg police detective Rey Hermosillo told jurors Thursday about the difficult discovery of the body of Lori Vallow Daybell's 7-year-old son, who was found buried in Chad Daybell's backyard. The burial site was near a pond and a tree, where there "appeared to be a small body wrapped in dark plastic with duct tape around it."
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Hermosillo said he spent "hours" helping with the second excavation. He said they started to uncover "burnt pieces of flesh, charred bone, fatty tissue." They found the shape of a "green melted bucket" with remains they assumed belonged to 16-year-old Tylee Ryan. Under the bucket, the detective said investigators discovered part of a human skull and some teeth.
After testifying about the excavation, Hermosillo described watching the autopsy of JJ. He said when they removed the bag, they found a boy in red pajamas with duct tape wrapped around his head, over his mouth, and around his wrists, arms and ankles. He said the amount of duct tape on the boy's arms caught his attention.
Charges and Legal Proceedings
Chad Daybell was taken into custody and charged with two counts of felony destruction, alteration, or concealment of evidence in relation to his wife Lori Vallow Daybell's missing children, Tylee and JJ. Judge Faren Eddins set Daybell's bail at $1 million during the hearing. Daybell's attorney, John Prior, argued for a lower bail of $100,000, but the judge sided with the prosecution.
Lori Daybell has already been charged with child abandonment, obstructing an investigation, contempt of court and soliciting a crime. She is also in jail on $1 million bond.
If he is found guilty, Daybell would face a maximum of 5 years in the state penitentiary or up to $10,000 fine for each charge. Chad Daybell's preliminary hearing has been set for July 1 and 2.
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Timeline of Events Leading to the Investigation
The events leading up to the discovery of the remains and the subsequent investigation are complex and span several months:
- September 2019: Tylee Ryan and JJ Vallow were last seen. Lori Vallow moved to Rexburg, and her brother, Alex Cox, lived in the same complex.
- September 8, 2019: Tylee Ryan was last seen after driving to Yellowstone National Park in Cox’s Ford F-150. Police said cell phone data placed Cox at a restaurant in West Yellowstone, Montana, that evening.
- September 22, 2019: The last photo of JJ was taken on Sept. 22, 2019, and friends staying with Lori Daybell said they saw the boy that day but he was not there the next morning.
- September 23, 2019: JJ had an unexcused absence from school. Cox’s phone was pinged near a pond on Chad Daybell’s property on the morning of Sept. 23, 2019.
- October 2019: Tammy Daybell died in October 2019, her obituary saying she passed away in her sleep of natural causes. The family declined an autopsy before she was buried in Springville, Utah.
- November 2019: Two weeks after her death, Chad Daybell married Lori Vallow in Hawaii. The couple moved to Hawaii last November after authorities started investigating the disappearance ofLori (Vallow) Daybell's children 17-year-old Tylee Ryan and 7-year-old Joshua "JJ" Vallow.
- January 3, 2020: Law enforcement officers searched Chad Daybell's home initially on Jan. 3 in connection with his first wife's death, removing more than 40 items including several pieces of computer equipment.
- February 2020: Lori Daybell was arrested in February on charges of child abandonment. Lori Daybell was held on a $5 million bond and was extradited to Idaho, where a judge later lowered her bond to $1 million.
- June 9, 2020: Authorities served a search warrant at Chad Daybell's home on Tuesday, where they found the remains of Vallow and Ryan.
'Doomsday Cult' Couple: The Disturbing Story of Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell
Religious Beliefs and "Zombies"
During the course of the investigation, the couple's religious beliefs began to shed light on what may have happened to the children. Lori had previously declared herself a God sent to prepare the world for an imminent apocalypse. Chad was an author who captivated Lori with his writing on religious doomsday scenarios.
Court documents reveal the light and dark beings concept and introduced the idea that Lori Daybell might have thought her kids were zombies, or possibly possessed. Gibb further told police Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow believed they were part of the “Church of the Firstborn” and their mission in the church was “to lead the ‘144,000’ mentioned in the Book of Revelation.
In the probable cause statement, officials said Cox, Lori Vallow’s older brother, remained at Daybell’s property for over two hours on Sept. 9. Cox’s phone was pinged near a pond on Chad Daybell’s property on the morning of Sept. 23. In the document, police said Tylee was last seen in Yellowstone National Park on Sept. 8. The last verifiable sighting of JJ was Sept. 22.
Chad and Tammy Daybell's Background
Chad and Tammy Daybell
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Before he was being investigated by authorities for this, and his late wife's death, Chad worked at a cemetery in Springville, Utah. Chad and his first wife Tammy Daybell worked for the city, Rod Oldroyd, a spokesperson for the city, confirmed to 2News on Wednesday.
"Both Chad and Tammy were excellent workers and did their jobs well and beyond expectation," the statement read. "Chad worked here more than once because he always did his job well."
Chad Daybell was employed by the city three or four times in the cemetery and his last position was a cemetery sexton. Tammy Daybell was a park's secretary and was responsible for cemetery records, selling cemetery plots, ambulance billing and other duties, according to the statement. She was employed by the city before and after marrying Chad Daybell.
Tammy Daybell died in October 2019, her obituary saying she passed away in her sleep of natural causes. The family declined an autopsy before she was buried in Springville, Utah. The quick marriage drew the suspicion of officers, who had Tammy Daybell's body exhumed for an investigation. The results of that autopsy have not yet been released.
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